Our View: Thomas Street project needs defined plans

The city of Wausau's years-old plan to widen Thomas Street could be in jeopardy after a federal Department of Transportation investigation into city property acquisitions led to the denial of millions in federal funds for the project.

What is the future of Wausau's Thomas Street expansion? The road needs it and the project, by enhancing and expanding a major east-west artery, would benefit the city.

The problem is that the city is ineligible for millions in federal funding for the project, according to the Federal Highway Administration. And we saw at Thursday's Capital Improvements and Streets Maintenance Committee meeting that at least some members of City Council question whether it should go forward without those funds. Others, including City Council President Lisa Rasmussen, said the city might still be able to find other ways of funding the project.

Let's cut through some of the clutter and the contentiousness that has surrounded this story and get to the bottom line. The city needs a clear, public plan for what will happen next on this project, how long it will take and where the money will come from.

The CISM Committee discussion on Thursday came on the heels of a press conference at which Mayor Jim Tipple ripped the Wausau Daily Herald's coverage of this story and promised to appeal a decision by the federal Department of Transportation to deny funding for the project and to place the city on a three-year probation period for other projects. (Read Daily Herald Editor Mark Treinen's response to the allegations here.)

At issue is the way the city acquired 10 pieces of property from homeowners along the road. According to the feds, the city failed to follow guidelines in place to protect homeowners' rights.

The Daily Herald Editorial Board criticized the city's handling of those acquisitions and city officials' response to a Highway Administration letter announcing sanctions. At the press conference, Tipple said that "city staff did nothing wrong." Wausau will appeal the decision, he said, and he is confident the city and the federal government will resolve their differences and move forward on this and other projects.

We disagree with Tipple on the merits, and we're likely to continue to disagree. But if such an agreement were to be reached, that would be a good thing for this project's future and for the city's financial house. DOT officials and others involved in granting funds have told the Daily Herald that the decision is final and there is no possibility of the city receiving more funds, but there's always a chance they're wrong and the decision will be reversed. Certainly the city is entitled to make its best case.

Questions remain

In the meantime, though, the public deserves more certainty and more information about this project. Here are a few questions:

? The city says there won't be any new property purchases in 2012. But, of course, that only accounts for about six weeks at this point. In the meantime, the city has asked for an $800,000 allocation for property purchases in 2013. How many properties does it expect to buy next year?

? When and how does the city plan to appeal the DOT decision? What is a reasonable timeline for the appeal process? In other words, when in the minds of city officials will they know for sure whether this project gets federal funds?

? What are the other funding sources? How does the loss (or, if you like, potential loss) affect future planning?

? What is the timeline for completion of construction on the project? What are the city's goals?

Here's the point: The DOT letter reported on by the Daily Herald has shone a spotlight on the city's handling of this project. The loss of federal funds has raised serious questions about how the city will move forward - even, in the extreme case, if it will move forward. What is the state of the project now, and how does the latest news affect its future? The public deserves to know.

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Our View: Thomas Street project needs defined plans

What is the future of Wausau's Thomas Street expansion? The road needs it and the project, by enhancing and expanding a major east-west artery, would benefit the city.

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